Disposable beverage container with built-in sipping tube



Dec. 3o, 1969 L. L. PFAHLER DISPOSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH BUILT-INSIPPING TUBE Filed July 3, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet l ill-- A:

INVENTOR LLOYD L. PFAHLER BY MAIQNEY. Ml? & RAM

L YM,

ATTORNEYS Dec. 30,v 1969 L. l.. PFAHLER 3,486,579

DISPOSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH BUILT-IN SIPPING TUBE Filed July 5,1968 5 Sheets-Sheer. 2

En; E INVENTOR, E LLOYD L.. PFAHLER ATTORNEYS L. L. PFAHLER 3,486,679

1N SIPPING TUBE I Dec. 30, 1969 TH BUILT- DISPOSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINERWI Filed July 5, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

- LLOYD L.PFAHLER BY MAHoNEY. MILLER a RAM BY l M, X

ATT RNEYS U.S. Cl.

- v 3,486,679 DISPOSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH BUILT-IN SIPPING TUBELloyd L. Pfahler, Columbus, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Nicholas M.Savko, Columbus, Ohio Filed July 3, 1968, Ser. No. 742,230 Int. Cl. B65d'5/00, 23/00; A47g 21/18 229-7 9 i Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Abeverage container made of inexpensive flexible material so that it canbe discarded after being emptied. The material is initially scored andfolded to provide a container of flat collapsed formation in whichcondition it is supplied for filling and can be expanded to receiver thebeverage. A built-in'sipping tube is provided ina protected positionwithin thel container when it is collapsed and also when it is expandedor set up. This tube has a portion which' is moved into a positionaccessible from the exterior of the container whenever the container isunsealed and opened for sipping ther-beverage contained therein.

Disposable containersof the beverage-servingtype have been provided inthe past with built-in sipping tubes or straws. However, these4containers have not been of a type which can be supplied in a at orcollapsed condition which greatly reduces the cost of, shipping andstorage. Since the containers in the prior art were not supplied in ailat or collapsed condition, there was no need for a sipping tube orstraw so formed and arranged in the collapsed container that it would beprotected properly and so designed and constructed that when thecontainer was expanded the straw would not be damaged and would still beprotected both hygienically and physically until used.

The present invention provides a built-in straw so arranged that withthe container collapsed or expanded, it is adequately protected. 'A lso,the straw is' so arranged that when the container is opened for servingthe beverage, a portion of the straw 'automatically lmoves out of'thecontainer into an exposedI sipping position.

. In the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments ofv myv inventionare shown and in these drawings:

Y'FIGURE 1`is a perspective view of one form'of container embodying myinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional viewtaken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,-showing the sipping straw in position within the container. Y

FIGURE 3 is a similar sectional view but fragmentary FIGURE 12 is avertical sectional view taken along line 12-12 o-f FIGURE 11.

The containers or cartons of this invention may be in the form of apolyhedron with a base on which the containermay rest and a top at whichthe sipping tube can be exposed. The containers of this invention arepreferably made of inexpensive exible sheet material, such aspaperboard, plastic, etc., which is either inherently moisture-proof oris treated to render it so. The container will be used in servingvarious beverages, such as milk, fruit juice, etc., and after it isemptied, can be discarded due to its inexpensive nature.

In the example, shown in FIGURES 1-8, the container is of triangularhorizontal cross section, but may be of other polygonal cross sections,having the three upstanding sides 21, 22 and 23 hinged together alongthe vertically disposed scored hinge lines 24, 25 and 26 at the threevertical corners of the set-up carton or container. The top and bottomends 27 and 28 of the box comprise triangular members which close theopposed ends of the triangular tube provided by the sides 21, 22 and 23.The top end 27 comprises a llat triangular end wall portion 29 which hasthe depending ilanges 30 on its three edges hinged thereto at scoredhinge lines 34 which overlap the respective side walls 21, 22 and 23 andmay be glued thereto. Similarly, the botto-m end 28 comprises a flat 1.triangular end wall portion 31 which has the upstanding flanges 32 onits three edges, hinged thereto at the lines 34, which overlap therespective side walls 21, 22 and 23 and may be glued thereto. The upperand lower edges of the respective vertical side walls 21, 22, and 23 mayhave inwardly extending horizontal flanges 33 which are glued totheinner horizontal surfaces of the respective ends 27 andi28.

As previously indicated, the container has a built-in sipping strawwhich is made of paper or plastic, and includes a main vertical section35 which extends from the bottom of the container to its top end alongthe one corner 25, which is rounded (FIGURE 8) to receive it, and thissection is tacked or glued in the corner position. The lower end of thissection is bias cut to produce the inlet 36 and the upper end is bent ata exible joint 37 to provide a section 38 which normally extends towardthe'center of the container. This section 38 is slidably disposed withina guide sleeve 3 9, which is similarly normally horizontally disposed,and is carried on the ,y underside of ,a closure tab 40. This closuretab is hinged and showing the straw with a portion extending upwardlyfromvthe container'but still enclosed within a guide por-` tion. f

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational View taken from the-position' shownat-4--4 in FIGURE 3 but'beingy partly 'FIGURE 5 is a horizontalsectional'vew taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to'FIGURE 3 but showing the extending portionof the straw exposed cfor sipping.' FIGURE `7 is a perspective'view ofthe container in" folded collapsed substantially flat condition -priorto filling. FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 8-8of FIGURE 7'.

FIGURE19 is a perspective view'showing another form of my container.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIGURE9.

FIGURE 11 is a plan view, partly broken away, of thej collapsedcontainer priorto illing.

at its outer end at 41 to the top end 27 of the container atthe verticalcorner 25 and is normally in at position on the end of the containerwhere it is glued over an opening or slot 42, the tabcarrying a strip 43on its lower end that lills this opening and towhich the horizontalguide sleeve 39.isattached (FIGURE 5). The tab 40 may also be providedwith a depending guide lug 44 at the end of sleeve 39 which extends intothe slot 42. Whenthe closure tab 40 is swung upwardly from the normalposition shown in FIGURE2, the straw section gagement by the lips of theperson who wishes to sip from the container.

In order to permit supplying the containers in collapsed orsubstantially at form so that they occupy a minimum of space in shippingand storage, certain container walls are prescored for folding. In theexample shown in-FIGURES 1 to 8, the side wall 21 is scored for inwardfolding and the ends 27 and 28 for outward folding. Thus, the wall 21 isprovided with a scored fold line 45, midway of the corners 24 and 26,parallel thereto and extending the full height of the container. Thetriangular wall 29 of the end 27 is provided with a scored fold line 46aligning with the line 45 and extending to the end of the slot 42.Similarly, the triangular wall 31 of the end 28 is provided with ascored fold line 47 which extends from the line 45 to the oppositecorner 25. In addition, the wall 29 is provided with the angular foldlines 48 and 49 which meet at the line 46 inwardly of the side 21 andwhich angle outwardly to the respective corners 24 and 26. Similarly,the wall 31 is provided with the pair of fold lines 50 and 51 which meetat the line 47 and extend to the respective corners 24 and 26.

In the collapsed substantially llat condition, the container will appearas in FIGURE 7. The wall 21 will be folded inwardly along the fold line45 and and its folds will be within the opposed flat walls 22 and 23.The end 27 will be folded outwardly along the lines 48 and 49, the hingelines 34 and the line 46. It will be apparent that there will betriangular sections extending outwardly from the walls 22 and 23, thefull width thereof, and outwardly extending triangular sections foldedtogether along line 46 and extending outwardly from each of the halfsections of the inwardly folded wall 21. The other end wall 28 will foldoutwardly in substantially an identical manner along the lines 50 and51, hinge lines 34, and the line 47, but could be folded inwardly.

The fold lines are produced in the container blank prior to gluing andfolding it together and the container is supplied in the collapsedcondition shown in FIGURE 7. At this time, the main part 35 of the tubeor straw will be in the curved corner 25 between the walls 22 and 23 andbe protected thereby. The extension 38 of the straw, along with guidesleeve 39, will be between the triangular extensions of the walls 22 and23 and be protected thereby.

To set up the container, it is merely necessary to apply inward pressureto the opposed ends to flatten out these ends and simultaneously foldthe wall 21 outwardly along the line 45, thus automatically bringing theWalls 22 and 23 into proper positions. To ill the container, a specialopening may -be provided which is sealed after lilling or the fillingmay be at one of the flanges 30 or 32 which may remain unsealed untilafter filling or at any other mechanically convenient location.

The container structure illustrated in FIGURES 9 to 12 is similar tothat described but is of cubical form instead of triangular crosssection. It is provided with the four side walls 51, 52, 53, and 54 andthe top and bottom walls 55 and 56. The top wall 55 carries a closuretab 60 near one side edge and hinged thereto at 31, and normally beingglued over a dispensing slot in the top 55. The tab 60 carries a strip62 which lls the slot normally and which carries the guide sleeve 63 onits lower surface as well as a depending guide lug 64 adjacent its freeend. The sleeve 63 slidably carries the section 65 of the straw which isconnected by the exible joint 66 to the main section of the straw. Thismain section normally extends downwardly along the adjacent verticalwall 54 laterally to the left at an angle (FIG- URE to a point adjacentthe bottom of the container where it is provided with the bias cut inletopening 68. It is tacked or glued to the wall 54 in this angularposition.

Normally, after filling and sealing the container will appear as inFIGURE 9. To drink the contents, the tab 60 is pulled upwardly whichpulls the guide sleeve 63 and the section 65 of the straw therewith and,as indicated in FIGURE 10, the section 65 of the straw may then bepulled from the guide sleeve and engaged with the lips. Thus, the strawwill be physically and hygienically protected until it is used.

This container also is supplied in the collapsed sub-A stantially flatcondition as it appears in FIGURES 11 and 12. So that it can be suppliedin this condition, all the walls, 51, 52, 53 and 54, which will be thevertical side walls when the container is expanded, will be prescoredfor inward folding when the container blank is formed. The opposed walls53 and 54 will have the respective scored fold lines 71 and 72 atdifferent levels intermediate the height of the respective walls. Eachof the other two opposed vertical side walls 51 and 52 is provided witha pair of upper angular scored fold lines 73 and 74 and a pair of lowerangular scored fold lines 75 and 76. The upper fold lines 73 and 74converge inwardly and downwardly from the upper corners of the containeror box to their junction at the upper end of a vertical scored fold line77. The ower fold lines 75 and 76 converge inwardly and upwardly fromthe lower corners of the container to their junction at the lower end ofthe line 77. The line 77 is midway of and parallel to the adjacentvertical corners and extends vertically only a relatively short distancebeing located midway between the adjacent top and bottom corners of thebox. A horizontal straight scored fold line 78 extends from the end ofthe fold line 71 to the upper end of the line 77 and a similar fold line79 extends from the end of the fold line 72 to the lower end of the line77.

When the container or box is collapsed substantially llat as in FIGURES11 and 12, the walls 53 and 54 are folded inwardly along the respectivefold lines 71 and 72. It will be noted that the fold line 71 is higherthan the fold line 72 to permit the necessary overlapping of theinwardly folded converging portions of the walls 53 and 54, as indicatedin FIGURE l2. Each end will simultaneously fold inwardly about the lines73-74, 75-76 and the line 77. In this condition, the upper section 65 ofthe straw will be in the folded rounded corner between the top wall 55and the side Wall 54 and the main section 67 of the straw will beprotected between the upper wall 55 and-the lower wall 56, extendingangularly midway between the end fold lines 77 which will be spacedapart. The outlet end 68 will be in the rounded corner between the walls53 and 54. Thus, the straw will be protected physically and hygienicallywith the box in collapsed condition. As soon as the box is expanded orset up, the straw section 67 will swing into vertical position along theadjacent wall 54.

It will be apparent from the above description that my inventionprovides a container of suitable polyhedron form which can be suppliedin substantially flat form thereby simplifying greatly the problem ofshipping and storing and, therefore, making it cheaper to supply to'theultimate user. The container is formed with prescored fold lines whichpermit the initial folding into flat condition and the subsequentsetting up or expansion of it into condition to be filled by the liquidto be served therefrom. The container has the built-in sipping strawwhich is physically and hygienically protected, both when the containeris collapsed and when it is expanded, until the time of use when it willbe moved automatically to sipping position by opening of the container.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A disposable beverage serving container of the type describedcomprising a hollow body portion of polygonal cross section having abottom wall on which the container may rest and upstanding wallsextending to a top where a dispensing opening is provided, abuilt-insipping straw disposed within said body and extending from thebottom to the top thereof, said straw having a main section extendingfrom a point adjacent the bottom to the top of the body which isattached to an adjacent upstanding wall and having a sipping sectionadjacent the top connected to the main section for movement relativethereto, said main section having an inlet adjacent the bottom and saidmovable section having an outlet, and

a closure member for said dispensing opening at the top movable relativeto said dispensing opening to permit projection of the sipping sectionof the straw therethrough, said closure member being connected to saidsipping section which is located inwardly thereof so that when it ismoved to open said dispensing opening said sipping straw section isprojected outwardly through said opening to a sipping position, at leastcertain walls of the container being prescored along selected fold linesso that the body is collapsed before lling with the built-in strawbetween the walls and protected thereby but being expansible to uprightcondition with the main section of the straw movable with the upstandingwall to which it is attached to its position extending from the bottomto the top of the body and with the closure member in closed position atthe top thereof and having the sipping section of the straw connectedthereto and located inwardly thereof.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which said closure member is asealed, easy-opening hinged closure tab which extends over thedispensing opening, said tab having a guide sleeve on its inner surface,said sipping straw section fitting in said sleeve for axial slidingmovement relative thereto when the tab is hinged outwardly to exposesaid opening and extend the sipping section outwardly therethrough.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which said upstanding walls arethree in number and are hinged together at vertical corners, said bottombeing formed by a flat wall hinged to said three upright walls and saidtop being formed by a at wall hinged to said three upiight walls, saiddispensing opening being located in the top wall with the closure tabmounted on said wall and covering the opening one of said upright wallsand the top and bottom walls being provided with the prescored foldinglines, said main straw section being in the corner between the tworemaining upright walls and connected to at least one of them and thesipping section connected thereto extending beneath said tab.

4. A container according to claim 3 in which the prescored line in theone upright wall extends centrally from the top to the bottom walls forinward folding of the upright wall, said bottom and top walls beingprovided with central end prescored lines extending from the respectiveends of said upright wall line to the opposed corner in which said mainstraw section is located and said dispensing opening being in the formof a slot extending inwardly along the associated central end line, saidcentral end lines forming on opposite sides thereof two triangularsections extending the full width of the respective upright walls towhich they are hinged, said triangular sections being provided withprescored fold lines extending from the respective remaining two cornersto the respective central end lines.

5. A disposable beverage serving container of the type describedcomprising a hollow body portion of polygonal cross section having abottom wall on which the container may rest and upstanding wallsextending to a top where a dispensing opening is provided, a built-insipping straw disposed within said body and extending from the bottom tothe top thereof, said straw having a main section extending from a pointadjacent the bottom to the top of the body and having a sipping sectionadjacent the top connected to the main section for movement relativethereto, said main section having an inlet adjacent the bottom and saidmovable section having an outlet, and a closure member for saiddispensing opening at the top movable relative to said dispensingopening to permit projection of the sipping section of the strawtherethrough, said closure member being connected to said sippingsection so that when it is lmoved to open said dispensing opening saidsipping straw section is projected outwardly through said opening to asipping position, at least certain walls of the container beingprescored along selected fold lines so that the body is collapsed beforelling with the built-in straw between the walls and protected therebybut being expansible to upright condition with the main section of thestraw extending from the bottom of the top of the body and with theclosure member in closed position at the top thereof and having thesipping section of the straw connected thereto, said closure memberbeing a sealed, easy-opening, hinged closure tab which extends over thedispensing opening, said tab having a guide sleeve on its inner surface,said sipping straw section fitting in said sleeve for axial slidingmovement relative thereto when the tab is hinged outwardly to exposesaid opening and extend the sipping section through, said upright wallsbeing four in number hinged together at vertical corners, the top andbottom comprising walls hinged to the four upright walls at theirrespective ends, all of said upright walls being prescored for inwardfolding.

6. A container according to claim 5 in which the four upright wallscomprise two opposed end walls and two opposed side walls, each of theside walls being provided with a horizontal score line extending fromone end wall to theother intermediate the height of the side wall, thehorizontal score lines in the respective side walls being at differentlevels, each of the end walls being prescored with downwardly andupwardly extending triangular score line arrangements with a verticalscore line joining their spaced vertices, and a score line extendinginwardly from the associated end of each horizontal score line to thevertex of the associated triangular score line.

7. A container according to claim 6 in which the dispensing opening isin the top wall along one of the side upright walls and the tab extendsthereover and is mounted on the top wall, said main straw sectionextending downwardly along said upright side wall.

8. A container according to claim 7 in which said main straw section issecured to said upright wall above its horizontal score line.

9. A collapsed container adapted to be expanded into hollow form forreceiving a beverage for serving comprising a body having a number ofwalls which are folded together into a collapsed condition and includinga bottom wall, a side wall and a top wall, a built-in sipping strawdisposed within the folded walls for protection, said built-in strawcomprising a main section secured to the side wall for expandingmovement therewith and extending to a point adjacent the bottom wallwhere it is provided with an inlet and a sipping section joined to themain section by a exible joint, said sipping section being adjacent saidtop wall and a dispensing opening provided in said top wall a closuretab normally covering said opening but movable to a position to exposesaid opening, said sipping section being connected to said closure tabfor movement into sipping position through said opening when the closuretab is moved to uncover said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,244 9/ 1948 Lynch 229-72,547,362 4/1951 Berry 229-7 2,689,076 9/ 1954 Jenkins 229--7 DAVID M.BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 215-1

